Yokogawa Introduces AR-based SensPlusTM Buddy Communication Support Service

Nov. 12, 2017 - PRLog -- Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Tokyo: 6841) announces that it will be rolling out the SensPlus^TM Buddycommunication support service on November 10. With this solution, personnel in the field will enjoy access to support information from theirmobile devices.

SensPlus Buddy can be accessed using a standard web browser on any general-purpose mobile device orpersonal computer, and does not require the installation of software. With this web-based service, users can easily make video callsand make use of augmented reality (AR) technology to transmit easy-to-visualize image and text data.SensPlus Buddy will improve maintenance efficiency andthe quality of fieldwork.

Development Background

As plantscome to rely on ever more sophisticated and complex systems that increasingly enable the integrated management of multiple production facilities, production efficiency is improving. At the same time, it is becoming more difficult to identify the causes of failuresand malfunctions in plant facilities, makingmaintenance a complex task.Furthermore, as an increasing number of skilled engineers reach mandatory retirement age, there is an urgent need tohire andtrain maintenance staff and managers.

Industrial IoT (IIoT) is seen as onemeans for making up for shortages of plant maintenance staff and assisting with the training of personnel. With IIoT, a system can be builtthat enables relatively inexperienced engineers toperform maintenance with the same efficiency and quality as more knowledgeable and experienced engineers.However, many manufacturers have hesitated to introduce such systems because of concerns about network security and thedifficulty and cost of adding new infrastructure.Toaddress this issue, Yokogawa has developed the SensPlus Buddy communication support service. With this service, users can visually transmitmaintenance information to personnel in the field.

Product Features

The SensPlus Buddy communication support service can be accessed wherever it is possible to use an Internet-connectedmobile device. Its features are as follows:

1. Easy to introduce/easy to use

SensPlus Buddy is a cloud-based service. As such, it does not require the installation of special hardware or software, and only a standard Internet connection is needed. It can run on any general-purpose mobile device or personal computer that has a web browser installed.For maximum security, access is strictly controlled by a user authentication system, and communication is only allowed between users in specified groups.

SensPlus Buddy supports video calls, the sharing of imagefiles such asa screenshot taken during a video callor when viewing a manual, and the overlay of instructions on images, and these functions can be easily accessed and usedonany kind of mobile device.

2. Real-time sharing of data

Engineering experts and other support staff can make video calls to share images and other data inrealtime with workers in the field.Thanks to the service's support of AR technology, support staff can write easy-to-understand instructions on photos that have been taken on site and send them back to workers in the field.

3. Obtaining information required in the field

When a maintenance worker in the field needs to see information about acontrol system or information from a document such as an operation manual, support staffin the central control room can send images of subjects such as acontrol system console screen orphotos of specific pages in a document. Both sender and receiver can inscribe messages on the images.

Places and use cases

Major Target Markets

Manufacturing industries

Applications

Communication betweencentral control roomand plant personnel,or between personnel at different plants

Communication betweenfield personnel and third parties such as help desks of plant equipment manufacturers

Yokogawa's Use of AR Technology

Yokogawa believes that AR technology can help solve the problem of human error. By combining this technology with mobile technology, which has been rapidly advancing in recent years, and by using this in manufacturing plants, Yokogawa aims to reduce human error and improve the safety and efficiency of field work. This company labels this approach Industrial AR, and is working with its customers to develop and refine this technology. The SensPlus Buddy communication support service is Yokogawa's first use of the AR technology. With the aim of introducing advanced solutions to the manufacturing sector, Yokogawa will continue its efforts to develop AR technology.